The Warp
by QuickStrike15
Summary: Depth Charge spins through the tunnel of time. Where he'll land he doesn't know. Is this the end? First in the "Trans-War" series.


The Warp  
  
WRITTEN BY  
QuickStrike15  
(TieanBrice@aol.com)  
  
A vast blackness. A place so eerily barren, few dare to picture it. One is about to set foot into it.  
A strange trans-warp opens, and a transformer is spewed forth from it. He lands on something, visible to none.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Ohh..." He rubs his head. "Where the pit am I?" He stands up. "I can't see a thing!" He rubs the back of his neck, and walks along the invisible trail. "This is very weird. What on Earth could be this dark? Huh, guess I answered my own question. Is this the Matrix? Thought it would be a little more extraordinary." He hears a whirring noise, and turns around. "What?" He slinks around on his tiptoes, wary of what might be closing in on him. "Gotta be careful." He moves closer, the noise grows louder, his nerves on end. "Okay, I've got this thing...whatever it is." He creeps ahead, and all of a sudden, he can see the world around him. He is standing in a long hall, with doors lining each wall. Each door has a small window above the knob. It also appears that he is standing under a spotlight, but he sees nothing when he looks up. "Oh, wow, just what I need...a gigantic migraine." He walks along the hall, going over to one of the doors on the right. "Wonder what's going on in here?" He looks into the window. "Perfect. To go with the theme of this place, there's nothing in there." He stares a few more seconds, then a flash a blue light comes across, as if lunging for him. Depth Charge jumps away from the door, and sits. "Whoa! Get control, Depth Charge. It was just some flash, nothing to worry about. If I'm gonna worry, I should worry about where this is, and how to get out." He stands up, and trudges further down the hall. "One of these doors must be the exit...I hope." He hears a creak from above. "Huh?" He looks up, to find nothing. Suddenly, Rampage leaps from a hidden rafter. He tackles Depth Charge, and they roll around on the floor.  
RAMPAGE: "I'll kill you!"  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Oh, really? I must have missed that back when we were trying to kill each other all the time!" He kicks Rampage off, and stands. Rampage draws his missile launcher.  
RAMPAGE: "It's your fault I'm here!"  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Not the way I see it, creep! You tried to erase me, so what went around came around. And being here won't be so bad if I remember the day I came, and ended your life!"  
RAMPAGE: "Try me!" He lifts his missile launcher, but Depth Charge kicks it out of his hand before he can fire. Depth Charge then jumps on him, and takes him to the ground.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "This is all your fault! Just like every other rotten thing that's happened in my life! It's all because of you!"  
RAMPAGE: "Every thing? I'm flattered. Causing misery always was my favorite thing to do."  
DEPTH CHARGE: "And ripping your spark out of your chest is gonna be mine!" He wraps a hand around Rampage's neck, and squeezes. Rampage sputters.  
RAMPAGE: "Go ahead, try to choke the life from me!"  
DEPTH CHARGE: "I will. And just in case that doesn't work, I'll just take this," he pulls out his Energon blade, "and cut it out!"  
RAMPAGE: "Raah!" He manages to grab Depth Charge's shoulder, and pull him off. He stands.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Aw, is baby scared?"  
RAMPAGE: "I fear nothing! Especially you! And I find that blade disgusting handiwork!"  
DEPTH CHARGE: "So, something in common. I find eating my friends disgusting handiwork!" He charges toward Rampage, his knife out in front. Rampage dodges to the left, spins, and kicks him in the back, knocking him face-first into the floor. Depth Charge quickly shoots out his arms, performs a push-up, gets his legs under him, putting him into a crouching position, and backflips onto his feet. He goes over and slugs Rampage in the cheek. The Predacon slightly reels from the impact, giving Depth Charge the opportunity to punch his several more times in the face and stomach. He shakes his head, and elbows Depth Charge in the jaw. He then grabs his shoulders. Depth Charge recovers, and grabs his shoulders, locking them in a shoving contest.  
RAMPAGE: "I am far more powerful than you!"  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Then how come you're losing?"  
RAMPAGE: "Shut up!"  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Why don't you make me?"  
RAMPAGE: "Trust me, when I'm through with you, you won't even be breathing!" They stare into each other's eyes, growling under their breath. Suddenly, a warp opens between them, and they disappear.  
  
***  
  
The warp opens, and Depth Charge falls out.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Not again! X! I had him!" Depth Charge then notices something. "Hey, look at this place. It looks just like Earth!" He climbs a hill to get a better view of things, and when he reaches the top, he sees something strange. "Transformers?" There are two of them, one aiming a gun at the other. The aiming one is encompassed inside a yellow cat beast form. "Cheetor?" And the other is a giant scorpion, who seems to be guarding a large weapon located behind him. He hears their exchange.  
CHEETOR: "Clicking makes me twitch. And there's a full charge in this beauty." The scorpion moves closer to the weapon. "Uh-uh, away from the big boomer, Plug-ugly." The scorpion skitters away from it. The robot activates him Com-Link. "Cheetor to base."  
DEPTH CHARGE: "It is Cheetor. Just...different."  
CHEETOR: "I got the gig in hand. Tell Optimus to home in on my signal." His Com-Link malfunctions. "Cheetor to base. Come in, Rhinox." The scorpion clicks its claws. "Uh-uh-uh, you're making me twitch again."  
A giant tarantula appears on a rock behind Cheetor. "And I'll make you scream!" It then starts laughing.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "If that's Cheetor, that must be...Tarantulas!" Cheetor fires rapidly at Tarantulas' beast mode. It easily dodges.  
The scorpion comes in. "Scorponok, Terrorize!" It transforms to robot mode.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "No! Kid!" He rushes toward the battle, to save Cheetor. He is too late. Scorponok fires a missile right into Cheetor's stomach. He is slammed into a rock face. Depth Charge runs toward Cheetor, when another warp opens. "Whoa!" He falls into it.  
  
***  
  
A warp opens, and Depth Charge falls out of it.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Great! The kid could be in trouble! And I have to deal with these weird portals." He stands up, and when he looks ahead, he sees something he never thought he'd see. "The Axalon?" And there the structure lay, high above a waterfall, on a rocky perch. "Kind of a funny parking job, but that's definitely Optimus' ship. How'd it get here? Maybe it's not the problem, maybe I am. I was just battling Rampage, and bam! I'm here. I could use some answers. I'll start with the Maximals in there." As he walks toward the ship, he sees a yellow comet jet from it. "What the slag?" He zooms in on the object, and makes out a cheetah. "Whoa! He's fast! Hold on, cheetah, coming from the Maximal Base...that's Cheetor! Sure looks different. Hey, cat!" Cheetor is going too fast to hear. "Man. Let me just go in." He continues the walk toward the ship, when the auto-guns target him. The Maximal computer addresses him.  
BASE: "Identify."  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Name's Depth Charge."  
BASE: "Computer registers no data. Step away from the base."  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Hold on, just go get your crew members and--"  
BASE: "Failure to comply. Firing now."  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Wait!" The ship's guns fire on him. He dodges the blasts carefully, and jumps out of their range. "Whew. Coulda been fried flounder there. Okay, so I'm not talking to Primal about this. Guess I'll go after the cat. Beast Mode." He transforms into flying manta ray mode, and rockets after Cheetor. His internal computer activates.  
COMPUTER: "Extensive damage done to body frame. Repairs must commence."  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Go ahead."  
COMPUTER: "Power must be drawn from engines."  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Acknowledge. Great, how am I supposed to catch a cheetah now? He looks to the ground, and finds pawprints. "You just...follow the trail." He cruises at normal speed after the presumed Cheetor.  
  
***  
  
Depth Charge arrives near the Predacon Base. The smell of hot lava wafts everywhere.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "This is where the trail ends. Where's the cat?" He spies a stone next to a hole. "Ah-ha! Depth Charge, Maximize!" He transforms to robot mode, and goes over to the rock. "This was hiding a secret passage! Cheetor must be inside!" He warily enters the tunnel. Darkness surrounds him as he reaches the end of the cylinder, and emerges inside a well-kept cave. "Nice place...for a cave." He walks around, getting a feel for the place, when he hears voices. "What's going on?" He hides behind a stalagmite, looking at a large computer, hooked up to a statis web. He then sees the web's capture. "Cheetor!" He listens in on the conversation.  
CHEETOR: "Brother. You need a maintenance bot badly."  
TARANTULAS: "You're in a stasis web. It drains away the energy, but leaves the flesh alive. At its current setting, this will take only a few moments." He hits a button on the computer, slowing the energy drain. "But, I find a slower pace makes the vital fluids taste so much better."  
CHEETOR: "Whoa! You are one space-happy spider." He takes a deep breath. "Cheetor, Maximize!" The transformation is hindered.  
TARANTULAS: "I'm afraid the web makes that impossible. Cat you are, and cat you stay. And when your energy's gone, I feast." He cackles wildly to himself.  
CHEETOR: "This is a dumb plan, web-face! I don't have any real blood, just mech fluid."  
TARANTULAS: "Oh, my filters will adjust. It is the act I enjoy more than the nourishment."  
A strange voice interrupts. "You know, you are one sick bug, eight-eyes."  
TARANTULAS: "Ah! The rat!"  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Rattrap?"  
RATTRAP: "Heh-heh, you got it. Now, whadda you say you let my pal go."  
TARANTULAS: "Tarantulas, Terrorize!" He transforms to robot mode.  
RATTRAP: "Rattrap, Maximize!" He transforms to robot mode. Tarantulas pulls his gun, and fires a missile. Rattrap ducks out of the way, and it hits a rock pillar holding up the ceiling. Rattrap draws his blaster, and fires several times toward Tarantulas. The spider tucks next to his computer, and fires into the ceiling above Rattrap. The rocks fall on Rattrap's head. Rattrap fires back, and runs away.  
CHEETOR: "Now he'll have you for lunch, web-breath!" Tarantulas aims at Cheetor. He gasps. Tarantulas then hits the control panel on his computer, and speeds the energy drain. He then goes in search of the rat.  
TARANTULAS: "Thermal scan." He quickly skims the area, finds a heat pattern, and fires on it. Rattrap is sent flying backwards to the ground. He thinks, accesses a compartment in his right arm, and takes out a device. He sets it up on a rock behind him, and activates it. Tarantulas finds the signal on his scan, and sneaks up to it. He cocks his gun, and aims at the device. It is not what he expected. Rattrap cocks his weapon, and aims at Tarantulas' back.  
RATTRAP: "Tsk-tsk-tsk, fell for de old hotbox." He pauses, waiting for the spider to make a move. He does, Rattrap crouches, and fires twice into Tarantulas' leg, removing it. Tarantulas loses his balance and fires into the ceiling, causing the rocks to topple on him. Rattrap rushes over to Cheetor. "Hang on, Kiddo." He presses buttons on the computer.  
COMPUTER: "Unable to respond. Incorrect energy signature." Rattrap tries another combination. The computer repeats the message. Cheetor begins to gag. Rattrap shakes the computer. It gives him the same error message twice as fast.  
RATTRAP: "Heh, guess I'll have to use my own signature." He pulls his blaster, and shoots the computer. It falls off the cliff. Rattrap slices Cheetor from the stasis web. The cheetah slowly lifts his eyelids, and speaks.  
CHEETOR: "Hey, Ratface. What's the good word?" Rattrap carries Cheetor away from the web, when Tarantulas stops him in his tracks.  
TARANTULAS: "Game over, Vermin." He cocks his gun. "Give my regards to the Inferno!" He fires a missile directly toward his enemies. They jump over a small chasm, as the missile explodes behind them. The cave begins to give way.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Time to go!" He goes back to the cave entrance, and climbs out.  
TARANTULAS: "Noooooooooo!" Rocks collapse on top of him. "I hate that rat." A small stone knocks him unconscious. Depth Charge looks around the Predacon Base.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Boy, that was a bigger explosion than I thought. Maybe I should go back and check on those guys." He crawls back into the tunnel, when a warp opens up, and he is sucked in.  
  
***  
  
A warp opens, and Depth Charge is ejected from it.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "I'm getting really tired of this." He hears voices. He listens in.  
RATTRAP: "Hey, uh, Fearless Leader. What's the haps?"  
OPTIMUS: "Where have you two been?"  
RATTRAP: "Just hawking around. You know, Cheetor needed some activity. You were kinda rough on him before. Everybody makes mistakes, you know." There is a pause.  
DEPTH CHARGE: "Wish I could see this."  
OPTIMUS: "Eh, maybe you're right. I'm sorry, Cheetor. I shouldn't have been so harsh."  
CHEETOR: "No...you were right, Big Bot. I messed up. But I won't do it again. From now on, this cat is a team player."  
OPTIMUS: "I'm glad to hear it." The sound of footsteps is present.  
CHEETOR: "Hey, thanks for not telling him about--"  
RATTRAP: "Save it, Kiddo. If I told Optimus about your little play-date with Tarantulas, he'd kick my sweet pink butt, too. And one more thing...if you ever pull a stunt like this again, I will personally rearrange your spots. Now, get outta my way. I got garbage to munch." He storms off.  
CHEETOR: "And, thanks for saving my life, pal."  
DEPTH CHARGE: "What moment is this? Am I in some kind of parrelel dimension? I have to figure this thing out." Another warp opens. "And the key is in these portals. Well, let the adventure begin." He jumps into it. 


End file.
